Liquid dispensing device

ABSTRACT

Trash receptacles are rarely cleaned. These containers can contain germs and disease in them in many situations. This liquid dispensing device will spray a liquid of choice with in the interior of the trash receptacle automatically every time it is emptied and replaced onto the support surface. These liquids may drastically reduce the amount of bacteria, germs, insects, and disease with in the container. This device will provide this sanitation service automatically. This liquid dispensing device may be attached to industrial dumpsters as well as to residential trash containers. This device does not require a power supply.

The claimed invention is directed generally to a trash container spray system, and more particularly, a container spray system for selectively spraying a cleaning material into a commercial trash container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

“Not Applicable”

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OF DEVELOPMENT

“Not Applicable”

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

“Not Applicable”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of large bins or containers for the deposit of trash and/or garbage from commercial establishments and residential apartments has grown substantially. These trash or garbage containers are usually emptied periodically by a front loading dump truck which carries a pair of forwardly extending lift forks that are insert able into pick up sleeves placed on opposed sides of the containers so that the container can be lifted off the ground and its contents dumped into the body of the truck. Since these containers are quite large, they may not be emptied for a substantial period of time such as a week or more in some instances. Because these containers often receive garbage as well as trash, many municipalities have required that the interior of the container be treated periodically with a treating material such as a disinfectant and/ or odor suppressor. Even when not required by statute, such treatment of the containers is a desirable service which users of the containers may request form the company which supplies and services the containers.

Most front loading containers are presently sprayed by the driver of the truck who, after the trash or garbage has been emptied, must leave the cab of the truck, unwind a hose attached to a spray tank of insecticide and/ or odor suppressor, spray the interior of the container, rewind the hose, and return to the cab of the truck. A suitable spray tank and hose arrangement for performing this task is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,875 to Torrey. It will be readily apparent that there are a number of drawbacks to the presently available container treatment systems. Since the truck may empty 60 to 100 trash or garbage containers during a single day, the driver must perform this procedure many times. The task soon becomes onerous and often is not performed as thoroughly as it should be. The time involved is also substantial and may consume an additional hour or more which could be spent on servicing other customers. The driver is also subject to repeated exposures to the material being sprayed onto the containers and such exposure is at least unpleasant and may be detrimental to the health of the driver. The customer either must have a spray treatment of the trash containers to comply with local statutes or desires this service for reasons of sanitation, but the driver who must perform the service views it as a time consuming, tiresome, disagreeable chore, thus causing a continuous controversy between the customer and the trash containing servicing contractor over the performance of the service.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is a need for a system that provides this sanitation service automatically. The claimed invention meets this need with a system that does not require a power supply.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: Liquid dispensing device attached to container, piston and contact plate in first position.

FIG. 2: Trash truck lifts receptacle, device extends piston and contact plate away from the base of the container to its second position when receptacle is removed from the support surface.

FIG. 3: Devices piston and contact plate retract to its first position when receptacle is returned to the support surface.

FIG. 4: Liquid is sprayed through nozzle on at least a portion of the interior of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the claimed invention to provide an improved trash container by adding a spray system to a trash container. The trash container includes a base, a lid arranged opposite the base, and at least one sidewall extending up from the base. The base and lid and sidewall enclose an interior of the container, and the container is shaped and adapted to temporarily hold items for subsequent removal by lifting the receptacle from a support service and upending the receptacle. The liquid spraying device comprises a reservoir, a sprayer body, a nozzle, and an actuator (FIG. 1). The sprayer body is in liquid communication with the reservoir, and the nozzle is in liquid communication with sprayer body. The actuator has a piston, a biasing mechanism and a contact plate. The contact plate is operatively connected to the piston, and the biasing mechanism is operatively connected to the contact plate. The contact plate is shaped and adapted to contact the support surface when the receptacle is placed on the support surface, and the piston and biasing mechanism is shaped and adapted to move between a first and second position. The piston and biasing mechanism are further shaped and adapted to extend the piston and contact plate away from the base of the container when the receptacle is removed from the support surface (FIG. 2), and to retract the piston and contact plate when the receptacle is replaced on the support surface (FIG. 3). The actuator is shaped and adapted to draw liquid from the reservoir into the sprayer body when the piston is moved in a direction from the first position toward the second position and to expel liquid from the sprayer body toward the nozzle when the piston is moved in a direction from the second position toward the first position. The nozzle is shaped and adapted to spray a liquid on at least a portion of the interior of a container (FIG. 4). 

1. A liquid spraying device for use with a trash bin, the trash bin including a base, a lid arranged opposite the base, and at least one sidewall extending up from the base, the base and lid and sidewall enclosing an interior of the bin, the bin being shaped and adapted to temporarily hold items for subsequent removal by lifting the receptacle from a support surface and upending the receptacle, the liquid spraying device comprising; a reservoir, a sprayer body in liquid communication with the reservoir, at least one nozzle in liquid communication with the sprayer body, and a actuator having a piston and a biasing mechanism and a contact plate, the contact plate being operatively connected to the piston, biasing mechanism being operatively connected to the contact plate, the contact plat being shaped and adapted to contact the support service when the receptacle is placed on the support surface, the piston and biasing mechanism being shaped and adapted to move between a first and second position, the piston and biasing mechanism being further shaped and adapted to extend the piston and contact plate away from the base of the bin when the receptacle is removed from the support surface and to retract the piston and contact plate when the receptacle is replaced on the support surface, the actuator being shaped and adapted to draw liquid from the reservoir into the sprayer body when the piston is moved in a direction from the first position toward the second position and to expel liquid from the sprayer body toward the nozzle when the piston is moved in a direction from the second position, the nozzle being shaped and adapted to spray a liquid on at least a portion of the bin.
 2. A liquid spraying device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a lockable closure located in the reservoir.
 3. A liquid spraying device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a fill level window located on the reservoir for indicating a certain level of liquid in the reservoir.
 4. A receptacle spraying device comprising: a bin including a base, a lid arranged opposite the base, and at least one sidewall extending up from the base, the base and lid and sidewall enclosing an interior of the bin, the bin being shaped and adapted to temporarily hold items for subsequent removal by lifting the receptacle from a support surface and upending the receptacle; a liquid spraying device operatively connected to the sidewall of the bin, the liquid spraying device including a reservoir, a sprayer body in liquid communication with the reservoir, at least one nozzle in liquid communication with the sprayer body, and an actuator having a piston and a biasing mechanism and a contact plate, the contact plate being operatively connected to the piston, the biasing mechanism being operatively connected to the contact plate, the contact plate being shaped and adapted to contact the support surface when the receptacle is placed on the support surface, the piston and biasing mechanism being shaped and adapted to move between a first and second position, the piston and biasing mechanism being further shaped and adapted to extend the piston and contact plate away from the base of the bin when the receptacle is removed from the support surface and to retract the piston and contact plate when the receptacle is replaced on the support surface, the actuator being shaped and adapted to draw liquid from the reservoir into the sprayer body when the piston is moved in a direction from the first position toward the second position and to expel liquid from the sprayer body toward the nozzle when the piston is moved in a direction from the second position toward the first position, the nozzle being shaped and adapted to spray a liquid on at least a portion of the interior of the bin.
 5. A receptacle spraying device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the reservoir includes a fill window for indicating a current level of liquid in the reservoir.
 6. A receptacle spraying device as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a lockable closure located on the reservoir.
 7. A receptacle spraying device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the bin is shaped and adapted for use in a commercial establishment.
 8. A receptacle spraying device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the bin is shaped and adapted for use in a domestic household application.
 9. A method comprising the steps of: providing a bin including a base, a lid arranged opposite the base, and at least one sidewall extending up from the base, the base and lid and sidewall enclosing an interior of the bin, the bin being shaped and adapted to temporarily hold items for subsequent removal by lifting the bin from a support surface and upending the bin; providing a liquid spraying device being adapted to operatively attach to the sidewall of the bin, the liquid spraying device including a reservoir, at least one nozzle in liquid communication with the reservoir, at least one nozzle in liquid communication with the sprayer body, and an actuator having a piston and a biasing mechanism and a contact plate, the contact plate being operatively connected to the piston, the biasing mechanism being operatively connected to the contact plate, the contact plate being shaped and adapted to contact the support surface when the liquid spraying device is connected to the bin and the bin is placed on the support surface, the piston and biasing mechanism being shaped and adapted to move between a first and second position, the piston and biasing mechanism being further shaped and adapted to extend the piston and contact plate away from the base of the bin when the bin is removed from the support surface and to retract the piston and contact plate when the bin is replaced on the support surface, the actuator being shaped and adapted to draw liquid from the reservoir into the sprayer body when the piston is moved in a direction from the first position toward the second position and to expel liquid from the sprayer body toward the nozzle when the piston is moved in a direction from the second position toward the first position, the nozzle being shaped and adapted to spray a liquid on at least a portion of the interior of the bin; and attaching the liquid spraying device to the bin.
 10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising: filling the reservoir with a liquid.
 11. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising: filling the reservoir with a disinfectant.
 12. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising: refilling the reservoir with a liquid. 